32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

When I was in theology, my professor asked our class a question: why are you a Christian? Is it because of the good works and teachings of Christ or the fact that Jesus raised from the dead?

That is to ask: is belief in the resurrection necessary for the Christian, or is Jesus worth following even if the resurrection is in doubt? I ask because this is the same question presented in today’s readings.

And the answer is simple: Despite all of Jesus’ good works and teachings, which are certainly worthy on their own, we profess Jesus as Christ because of the resurrection. It is essential to our faith.

Our faith is not designed to explain how things work; rather our faith helps us to understand why they work. Faith gives meaning. This is what St. Paul is writing in 2 Thessalonians: “May Jesus who loves us give us encouragement and hope by his grace – the grace that comes ultimately from the resurrection”

The resurrection is essential to our faith because it is how we are consoled. It communicates that no matter how hard or bad things are, there is always redemption.